The Discipline
by James Dare
Summary: Based on the novel "Stranger in a Strange Land"


"The Discipline" part one   
  
  
  
The return trip to their sanctuary in the Poconos was less eventfull than the previous excursion. As soon as they got settled in and Patty's pets were safe and snug in the basement, Jubal placed the call to Joe Douglas and made the arrangements to aquire the property that marked the spot where Mike chose to discorporate. Jubal was sure that Joe wouldn't have any trouble handling all the details including claiming Mike's remains from the morgue, and giving him an official burial on that spot with full honors.   
  
Duke had arranged to snap a shot of mike at the instant that the sun had come out from behind a cloud, and a shaft of golden light had illuminated him forming a halo back of his head. Mike had stood before them, a golden youth, clothed only in his own beauty, and Duke had recorded him when he said gently, "Look at me, I am a son of man."   
  
Jubal had decided that they would erect a memorial on the site where Mike had chosen to discorporate. The memorial would have a stereo full color image made from the shot Duke had taken, and a recording of Mike's voice would play whenever sensors detected the presence of onlookers. The memorial would have a plaque set into the base that would read, "Drink Deep and Never Thirst."   
  
After Tim piloted them home, he dropped the Skipper, Beatrix, and Sven off in New Jersey. Then Tim turned in the bus and went to Texas. Since Sam, Ruth, and Saul decided that they could stay for a day or two, the main nest was bustling with activity. Sleeping arrangements were being made, in case anyone was actually going to do any, their abilities making sleep all but unneccessary. Since bedroom space was limited, the girls made up dosses in the livingroom. They were going to be stepping over each other for awhile, even with most of this crowd doubled up, and Jubal himself not being allowed to sleep solo.   
  
The past week seemed like a couple months by subjective time. Dawn had made the warming-up exercises truely memorable. Even though Jubal hadn't needed Dawn for the second session in order to be placed in rapport with Anne, she volunteered to help, and he accepted whole-heartedly. He had enjoyed the growing closer of Dawn placing him in rapport with Anne. Once there, Anne was able to sustain him during what felt like long sessions that consisted of Anne pouring all of the knowledge she could into his memory cells. Within days Jubal was thinking in Martian, and he learned at a much faster rate than he would have given himself credit for. Finally he realised that what Mike had said about him was true, he really was a natural at it. Now that he was thinking in Martian, his ability to grok was more focused. It was like the difference between a search light and a laser beam. It had hit him as suddenly as turning on a light, and then everything had become clear. It was that simple, when you could think in Martian. Sure he still needed practice with Anne to watch over him when he went for walks outside his body. He didn't want to become disoriented and lose track of where he had left his body. Anne had gone on to instruct him in the more advanced skills that anyone who was trained in the discipline was capable of. All of this new way of thinking would have seemed improbable for the "old Jubal" to have been able to absorb so quickly. He had become set in his ways, and very rigid in his beliefs. The discipline had set his mind free to the unlimited possibilities and capabilities of the untapped portion of his brain. He was what was commonly referred to as an "adept". It gave him even more of a feeling of freedom when he went for walks outside of his body than the first time, long ago, that he had experienced flight. Jubal recalled thinking at that time that he could die happy having experienced all that his heart desired. How little did he know the depths that peace, serenity, and joy could reach. Almost overnight Jubal had begun to gain control over his body, and it's most intricate functions. He had come out of his first session with Anne feeling refreshed and with a new vigor that he hadn't felt in decades. Gone were the aches and pains that had been multiplying in recent years. 


End file.
